Optic disc retaining structure

ABSTRACT

An optic disc retaining structure includes an optic disc, a disc carrier, and magnetically attractive device, wherein the carrier forms a hub in the form of a projection extending from a surface of the carrier without any transverse outward protrusion and having an outside diameter substantially corresponding to an inside diameter of a central bore of the optic disc. The magnetically attractive device includes a thin plate of magnetically attractive material and a flexible magnet mounted to and surrounding the central bore of the disc and the hub whereby the disc can be easily disposed into the carrier and attached thereto by the magnetic attraction between the thin plate of magnetically attractive material and the flexible magnet and can be easily removed from the carrier.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an optic disc retaining structure, and in particular to an optic disc retaining structure comprising magnetically attractive elements between an optic disc and a disc carrier or casing member to induce a magnetic force for retaining the disc in the carrier or casing and for easy removal of the disc from the carrier or the casing.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

With the fast development of optic storage media and change of consumers' behavior in the recent years, optic discs, such as compact disc (CD) and digital video disc (DVD), are now widely used. Since the optic discs are made of plastics, they are susceptible to damage caused by surface scratch. The surface scratch often causes incorrect transmission of light beam used to read/write the optic discs thereby seriously affecting correctness of data access. To ensure correct data access, the optic discs are often protected by being received in a rigid storage case.

FIGS. 1 and 2 of the attached drawings show a conventional optic disc storage case, comprising mated cover members that can mate each other by being stacked over each other to define a space for receiving an optic disc. In the conventional storage case, one cover member (1) forms an upward-extending central projection or hub (11), which comprises a cylindrical upright wall (111) having an outside diameter substantially equal to an inside diameter of a central bore of an optic disc (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2). The cover member (1) forms a plurality of slots (112) having a U-shaped configuration with two side sections thereof cutting through the wall (111) thereby separating a portion (113) of the wall (111) from the remaining portion of the wall, serving as a resilient tab (113) that is located between the side sections of the U-shaped slot (112). Each resilient tab (113) has an upper free end forming a transverse outward-protruding flange (1131), serving as a pawl, which, when the central bore of the optic disc is fit over the wall (111) of the hub (11), resiliently engage an inner circumference of the bore of the optic disc thereby securely retaining the optic disc on the cover member (1).

The hub (11), however, suffers the following disadvantages: (A) Due to the pawl (1131) of the tab (113) of the hub (11), molds for manufacturing the cover member (1) must have a complicated structure in order to facilitate removal of the molded cover member from the mold; and (B) the pawl (1131) often exerts a strong force on the optic disc, which makes removal of the disc from the cover member difficult and sometimes results in damage to optic disc at the inner circumference engaging the pawl.

Thus, the present invention is aimed to overcome the drawbacks of the conventional storage case.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide an optic disc retaining structure that allows easy attaching and removal of an optic disc to/from the disc storage case.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides an optic disc retaining structure comprising an optic disc, a disc carrier, and magnetically attractive means, wherein the carrier forms a hub in the form of a projection extending from a surface of the carrier without any transverse outward protrusion and having an outside diameter substantially corresponding to an inside diameter of a central bore of the optic disc; the magnetically attractive means comprises a thin plate of magnetically attractive material and a flexible magnet mounted to and surrounding the central bore of the disc and the hub whereby the disc can be easily disposed into the carrier and attached thereto by the magnetic attraction between the thin plate of magnetically attractive material and the flexible magnet and can be easily removed from the carrier.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention, with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cover member of a conventional optic disc storage case;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a hub of the cover member of the conventional optic disc;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of an optic disc retaining structure in accordance with the present invention with an optic disc separated from a carrier or casing member;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the optic disc retaining structure of the present invention with the optic disc separated from the casing member; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an optic disc storage box comprising a plurality of disc carrier embodying the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

The present invention disclosed an improved optic disc retaining structure, which generally comprises magnetically attractive elements respectively mounted to an optic disc and a disc carrier or casing member for attaching the disc to the carrier by magnetic force between the magnetically attractive elements without forming any pawl on a hub of the carrier or casing member so as to facilitate easy disposition of the optic disc into the carrier or casing member and ready removal of the optic disc from the carrier or casing member.

The magnetically attractive elements comprises a thin plate of magnetically attractive material, such as ferrous material, including a ring-shaped thin iron/steel plate, and a magnet, such as flexible magnet ring, which are respectively mounted to an area of the optic disc in which no data is stored and a corresponding area around the hub. The thin plate and the magnet can be manufactured separately and then mounted to the optic disc and the carrier (or casing member), or alternatively, they are integrally formed on the optic disc and the disc carrier. By means of the magnetic attraction between the thin plate and the magnet, the optic disc can be securely attached to the carrier. Further, the thin plate of magnetically attractive material can be replaced by a ferrous alloy or other magnetically attractive materials and can be shaped as a polygon, star-shaped or other equally-angled shape to enhance versatility of the present invention.

With reference to the drawings and in particular to FIGS. 3 and 4, an embodiment of the present invention is shown, comprising an optic disc (3) having a conventional structure that comprises a thin flat plastic board forming a central bore (31). The disc (3) has a central ring area (32) surrounding the bore (31), and practically no data is stored in the area (32). In accordance with the present invention, a thin place (5) made of a magnetically attractive material, such as ferrous material, of which an example is a thin iron/steel plate, is attached to the ring area (32).

A carrier or casing member (4), which may constitute in part an optic disc storage case, forms a central hub (41), which extends upwards from and is thus raised above a surface of the casing member (4). The hub (41) has an outside diameter substantially corresponding to an inside diameter of the bore (31) of the disc (3). A flexible magnet (6) surrounds the hub (41) so as to correspond to the thin plate (5) of the disc (3) and is fixed to the surface of the casing member (4).

Thus, when the disc (3) is positioned in the casing member (4), the bore (31) of the disc (3) is fit over the hub (41) of the casing member (4) and is thus secured in the casing member (4) by the magnetic attraction force between the thin plate (5) and the magnet (6). Consequently, the optic disc (3) may not separate from the casing member (4). Further, due to no projection or pawl is formed on the hub (41), the bore (31) of the disc (3) can be easily fit over the hub (41) with less effort as compared with the conventional optic disc storage case. Similarly, removing the disc (3) out of the casing member (4) can be done easily and effortlessly.

Referring to FIG. 5, another embodiment of the present invention is shown, in which an optic disc storage box comprising a plurality of chambers each movably receiving a disc carrier (4′) having a construction similar to the casing member (4) discussed with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. The carrier or casing member (4′) forms a hub (41) and having a flexible magnet (6) attached to a surface thereof. The optic disc (3), as discussed previously, has a central bore (31) that can be fit over the hub (41) and a thin plate (5) made of magnetically attractive material and magnetically attractable by the magnet (6) to secure the optic disc (3) in the carrier (4′).

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. An optic disc retaining structure comprising an optic disc, a disc carrier, and magnetic attraction means, wherein: the disc carrier forms a hub extending from a surface of the carrier and having an outside diameter substantially corresponding to an inside diameter of a central bore of the optic disc and thus engageable with the central bore; and the magnetic attraction means comprises a thin magnetically attractive plate and a flexible magnet mounted to and surrounding the central bore of the disc and the hub to induce a magnetic attraction therebetween for securing the optic disc in the carrier.
 2. The optic disc retaining structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the thin plate has an equally-angled configuration. 